Monarchs run past Bulldogs in opening round

Kris Curry gave Northside the power while Famous Roberts provided the speed.

Chris Miller-Prep Sports Writer/The Daily News

Kris Curry gave Northside the power while Famous Roberts provided the speed.

And that combination proved a difference for the Monarchs as they combined for 233 yards rushing in fifth-seeded Northside’s 45-14 victory over No. 12 St. Pauls on Friday night in the first round of the NCHSAA 2-AA football playoffs.

Curry, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound junior, led the way with 129 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. Roberts, a 5-9, 180-pound senior added 104 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Simply put, the Curry-Roberts combination proved too strong and fast for the Bulldogs to handle.

“It was a great combination,” Curry said. “I feel like they were scheming me. They were blitzing everybody.”

The duo helped East Central Conference champion Northside (9-3) advance to the second round, where the Monarchs will play host to No. 13 Hertford County (7-5). Hertford upset fourth-seeded South Granville 27-14 on Friday.

St. Pauls, which finished third in the Three Rivers 1-A/2-A Conference, ended 8-4.

“We had a good game. A great game,” said Curry, who surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the season. “I feel like if we keep working, we have a good chance at making it to state. We have been working hard and good things come to people who work hard.”

Most of Curry’s success came on inside runs, allowing Roberts to take advantage of openings on the outside. After Curry scored on touchdown runs of 23 and 21 yards in the first quarter on runs up the middle, Roberts scored on a 19-yard run toward the outside to give the Monarchs an 18-0 lead.

“Kris is a bruising back and his size is intimidating,” Roberts said. “When I come in, they have been beaten down by Kris and they don’t know I bring the speed in the backfield. It’s a good 1-2 punch with Kris’ power and my speed.”

Curry’s 23-yard touchdown run on the Monarchs’ first possession gave Northside a 6-0 lead and capped a 12-play, 87-yard drive that lasted 5:35.

The Monarchs then kept their momentum when linebacker Kirtlon Sanders recovered a fumble on the Bulldogs’ first play of their ensuing drive. Moments later, Curry scored from 21 yards out to give Northside a 12-0 lead.

Northside senior Justin Gordon then recovered the ball at the Bulldogs’ 47-yard line when St. Pauls botched the ensuing short kickoff from junior kicker Gage Eason. That set up Roberts’ 19-yard touchdown run.

Northside coach Bob Eason was asked if the kickoff was designed to be an onside kick.

“You will have to ask Gage that question,” he said. “But it was a huge momentum swing.”

Either way, Sasser agreed that Northside recovering the kickoff was big.

“I don’t know if he was attempting an onside kick, but it went off our guy on the front line and we didn’t handle it very well,” Sasser said. “It’s something we practice for. We just didn’t execute.”

And just like that, the Monarchs led 18-0.

“It was a very big sequence,” Curry said. “You don’t have many teams that let you up that easy. When you get up, you have to keep it up. If you don’t, you give teams another chance to come back.”

St. Pauls coach Trey Sasser said his team never quit but that the Bulldogs’ first-quarter deficit was too much to overcome.

“We were not thinking we were out of it at any time,” he said. “We’ve come back two or three times and our kids were never down. But it’s hard to make up 18 points against somebody, especially a team with a defense as athletic as they have.”

Northside led 25-7 at halftime, and extended its lead at 32-7 on its first possession of the third quarter when senior Josh Cabrera scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Jake Erickson. It finished off a 9-play, 66-yard drive that lasted 3:20.

It was the type of drive Eason was looking for to start the second half.

“We talked at halftime about that,” he said. “That will put a nail in the coffin for a lot of teams.”

Senior Ne’Also Miller added a 22-yard touchdown run late for the Monarchs.

St. Pauls senior quarterback Malik Livingston finished 9 of 21 for 145 yards and two touchdown passes. He threw a 23-yard scoring pass to sophomore Tim Billinger in the second quarter and threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to senior Charles Walters in the third.

But Livingston and the Bulldogs’ running game faced pressure all game. St. Pauls managed just three first downs in the second half.

“I think our defense really came out and played well. We gave up a couple of plays, but they got after it,” Eason said. “Offensively, we controlled the ball and our special teams played pretty good. This was a pretty good game for us. It was a complete game.”

Roberts was also pleased.

“I’m happy with the way we played,” he said. “We came out and played hard and physical.”

And the Monarchs are hoping to do the same next week at home against Hertford.

“We get to stay right here in the confines of Monarch Stadium,” Eason said. “I’m sure Hertford is good, but I’m excited to be at home.”